This Week in Books – May 17th

As always, it has been another busy week in the wonderful world of books. So here’s our pick of some of the best, worst, strangest and most interesting events from the past seven days.

Unusual Use for Lance Armstrong’s Unwanted Books

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong’s recent woes appear to have taken a fresh and unusual twist. After noticing an influx of autobiographies in a local charity shop, a Newcastle bike store owner decided to appeal for unwanted copies to create a unique installation. In total, over 200 arrived (along with a variety of other paraphernalia) and were promptly dismantled and used to adorn the floors.

Now patrons can literally walk all over Armstrong and his various exaggerations. The pages are a permanent feature, with varnish applied to keep them in top condition – a little bit like…

Everybody’s Talking About…Dan Brown’s New Book

Mr Marmite himself is back, releasing the fourth book in the Robert Langdon series – Inferno. Critics are already lambasting Dan Brown’s latest effort and poking fun at his unique writing style; however, the many millions of fans are unlikely to take any notice, as the king of the modern page-turners unleashes his latest work.

Customised In-flight Books

Don’t you just hate it when you don’t get the chance to finish a book during a flight (probably not)? Well, Qantas have come up with a ‘novel’ solution*. The airline has commissioned a range of books that are purposely written so that passengers will be able to finish them prior to landing. A great idea, as long as you don’t plan on taking a quick nap or spend too long eating your meal – but I guess that’s what a return journey is for.

The Great Gatsby gets a cinematic makeover…again

With the ever-exuberant Baz Luhrmann behind the camera and starring roles for Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby is jiving its way back onto cinema screens this week. While not the first adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic love story in the age of vaudeville, it is perhaps the most talked about. Lambasted and loved in near equal measure, the film is likely to have a touch of the Dan Brown about it. For lovers of Twenties razzmatazz though, The Great Gatsby is in all good cinemas now.

Of course if you don’t fancy a trip to the cinema, you can always pick up a copy from World of Books**.

That’s it for our weekly update. If you are excited about the new Dan Brown novel, like the idea of walking on the slightly hollow words of Lance Armstrong or couldn’t care less about the Great Gatsby, let us know in the comments below. It’s always great to hear your opinions, so don’t be shy. Also, if you have stumbled upon another story, sensible or otherwise, feel free to share.

Apologies: * Firstly, for an awful pun and **secondly for a blatant plug.